Wanted
by Morkgirl
Summary: Mork is kidnapped by aliens looking for reward money after several planets he visited consider him a wanted fugitive for violating their laws and want him extradited.
1. Chapter 1

Wanted

Part One

"Isn't this beautiful?" Mindy asked Mork, smiling. She closed her eyes and tilted her face up to feel the comforting warmth of the sun. "I feel so free here. It's so open and limitless."

They were on a boat off the coast of Florida, the cloudless, aquamarine skies overhead mirroring the calm, pristine water beneath them, a humid tropical breeze blowing on occasion. Wearing a sarong, sunglasses, and a broad-brimmed straw hat, Mork couldn't imagine her looking much more adorable, returning her smile as she spread her arms as if to embrace their surroundings, twirling in delight on the boat deck in her bare feet like a carefree ballerina.

"Yeah, it's an honor that your space program awarded me the opportunity to come down here and help them design their new rocket," he said. "And who would have thought that Dr. Feldman would loan us his boat while we were down here? This is a great vacation. Probably one of the best we've ever had together." He looked down at the water, and then back up at Mindy, an idea occurring to him. He grinned. "Want to see something?" He asked.

"What?"

Mork dived off the edge of the boat into the water, his technique almost as skilled as that of an Olympic athlete, his body turning in a tightly controlled corkscrew. When he emerged from beneath the waves and leapt back onto the boat, his muscular body glistening and wet, Mindy had to admit she was impressed and also somewhat aroused. She applauded his performance and he seemed pleased to have won her approval, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her.

"Where did you learn to dive like that?" She asked, gasping in surprise when he released her.

Mork shrugged. "Watching your Olympics and lots of practice," he said, grinning.

"Well, that was magnificent."

"Would you like to see it again?"

Mindy laughed. "Sure," she said.

Glad she said yes, Mork prepared to dive off the side of the boat again, once again performing with flawless technique, his body coiled like a spring before it released itself with ease and grace, gliding into the water. However, this time, instead of the perfect finish, something went wrong. Almost immediately when Mork hit the water, he felt something pulling him down, some invisible force that was impossible to resist against. Mindy also began to realize something was wrong when he began to thrash around helplessly, his body twisting and his limbs flailing as he struggled, gulping down mouthfuls of water and choking.

"Mindy! Help me!" He screamed, panic and terror in his eyes.

He tried to swim away, but something kept tugging at him, yanking him beneath the surface. Frantically, he reached for Mindy, his hands blindly searching for her grasp. His head managed to break the surface for only a mere few seconds before being submerged again, and he was slowly drowning, oxygen bubbles from his mouth forming on the water.

"Mork!" Mindy screamed, desperately trying to reach him. "Hang on! I've got you!"

She found his grasping hand and clasped it, trying to pull him back onto the boat, but whatever was holding him underwater was too strong, overpowering her and almost pulling her under as well. She lost her tenuous grip on his hand, watching helplessly as whatever had its hold on him began to drag him farther away from the boat and beyond her reach.

"Mork!" She screamed.

Unable to bear watching him struggle any longer, she almost considered jumping in after him, but she wondered if this force would take her under as well. She couldn't explain the nightmare of what was happening in front of her. Both she and Mork had seen a shark movie recently that had successfully scared everyone who saw it out of the water for months, but she didn't see any sharks nearby, and thankfully she didn't see any blood, either. Still, something had Mork, and it was refusing to release him. A massive vortex formed in the water exclusively around him, looking almost like the ocean was being sucked down a bathtub drain. All Mindy could do was watch in horror as it swallowed Mork completely, his body and the oxygen bubbles disappearing, leaving behind nothing but a calm and empty ocean in its wake. Too stunned and grief-stricken to fully comprehend what she just saw, she collapsed on the boat deck in tears, never feeling more powerless, Mork taken from her mysteriously and without explanation.


	2. Chapter 2

Wanted

Part Two

Mork's body was placed in a glass tank, similar to an aquarium but filled with air instead of water. The tank sat on an enormous bookshelf in an underwater cave designed to look like a home, its massive scale dwarfing him and the tank that contained him. Two strange, wraith-like, ethereal beings swam into the room, leaving a trail of glowing phosphorescence in their wake. They resembled eels and jellyfish, their skin translucent. One of them approached the tank where Mork was being kept, its giant body towering over him. The being smiled at his tiny, unconscious body in amazement, tapping on the glass with one of its tentacles.

"Don't tap on the glass," the other being warned, approaching. "He is not a pet. Remember, this arrangement is only temporary."

"Oh Mama, he's such a beautiful little creature. When do you think he will wake up?"

"Soon. We must be patient. Remember, he has been through quite an ordeal."

As if on cue, Mork began to stir. The younger of the sea beings held her breath in anticipation, barely able to contain her excitement. As Mork opened his eyes and saw the terrifying, gigantic monsters floating in front of him, peering at him through the glass, he panicked, scrambling to find a place to hide from them, cowering in the far corner of the tank.

"Do not be afraid," he heard one of them say, although it was in his mind. He realized they were contacting him telepathically, the water preventing them from speaking. "We mean you no harm."

Mork looked around the tank, pressing his hands against the glass that contained him. Studying the material, he prepared to break through it using his powers so he could escape.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," the same being who had spoken to him earlier said. "That tank is the only thing keeping you alive. If you breach the seal, you will drown."

Mork dropped his hands, recognizing the futility of it. "Who are you?" He asked them, also using his powers of telepathy. "What do you want from me?"

The elder of the sea beings smiled. "The same thing many civilizations across the universe want from you," she said. "Justice."

"I don't understand."

"Your name is Mork, isn't it? You come from the planet Ork originally."

Mork refused to answer.

"I know who you are. There is no point in trying to evade my questions. You are known throughout the universe. You travel to other planets as an ambassador from Ork. Unfortunately, you are also quite reckless, aren't you?"

"I don't know what you mean."

The elder sea being pulled a dossier from the bookshelf and opened it, leafing through it. "It appears you violated several laws during your travels to several planets," she said, "and these planets want you back so that you can face justice. Many of them are offering a generous reward for your capture and return."

"And you want the reward," Mork said. "Is that why you're doing this?"

The elder sea being bowed her head. "Right now, I'm entertaining several offers, trying to determine which one will be the most lucrative for me," she said.

"That doesn't make any sense. What laws could I have broken to make these societies I visited so upset with me?"

"Does that matter?"

"Of course it matters. I have a right to know what crimes I am being charged with, don't I? My missions were meant to be peaceful, to spread goodwill. I never intended to harm anyone. I mean, the least they could have done was told me what I did to offend them so that I could at least try to rectify my mistakes."

"Pleading ignorance to the law will not help you. You are still in violation and must still face the consequences."

"What will they do to me if you return me?"

The elder being shrugged. "It depends on the planet," she said. "However, I am told on most of the planets, the punishment for your various crimes is most severe."

Mork paced his cage of air, becoming increasingly agitated, cursing and muttering under his breath. "Are all societies across the universe as intolerant as Ork?" He railed.

"I beg your pardon?"

Mork paused and looked up at the sea being. "Nothing ma'am," he said. "It's just…I'm begging you to release me, to show me mercy. That was a long time ago. I have a home now, here on Earth. I have a new life, a new girlfriend. Can't you just let me go and live that life? I've never visited your planet, so I couldn't have possibly broken any of _your_ laws. You have to show me some leniency."

"I am afraid that is not possible."

"But why? Do you really wish to see justice served, or are you merely out for greed?"

The elder sea being flashed her glowing, snake-like eyes at him. "You forget yourself, little man," she said. "Challenge me again, and I will release you from that comfortable little cushion of air and expose you to the elements, where your tiny lungs will fill with water and you will surely drown within minutes."

"Mama, don't!" The younger sea being said, restraining her. She looked down at Mork and smiled with fondness at him. "Please, just let him be. He didn't hurt anyone. Maybe he's right. Maybe we should just let him go. What does it matter to us? What he did or didn't do on these other planets is none of our affair. Besides, I'm sure he did nothing that warrants such a harsh punishment. He seems like a benevolent little creature who wouldn't harm a soul."

"You should listen to your daughter," Mork said, looking up at her and smiling at her in silent appreciation for her defense of him.

"My daughter is ill-informed and immature, just like you," the elder sea being said. "She doesn't understand how the world works, how serious our situation is."

Mork couldn't be sure, since he was observing an unfamiliar being far different in appearance from him and they were underwater, but it appeared the older one was crying, her expression creased in distress. Far from being hard and unyielding, Mork sensed that she had a kinder, gentler nature beneath her tough exterior, but something was troubling her deeply to make her behave in such a cruel manner towards him.

"You can talk to me," he said. "You can tell me what's wrong. I'll listen. Maybe I can even try to help you."

The elder glared at him, regaining her composure. "The only way you can _help_ me is if I get my bounty for turning you in," she said. "You are worth nothing more to me than that."

"Why do you need the reward so badly? There must be a reason."

"I don't have to give you a _reason_. You are a wanted criminal, and right now, you are in my custody. As far as I'm concerned, I don't have to speak to you at all."

She turned to leave, her daughter following silently behind her.

"Wait! Come back!" Mork shouted after them in his mind. He ran up to the glass of the aquarium, pressing his hands against it. "Please, don't do this to me! Maybe we can work something out! Come on!"

The daughter turned to look at him, giving him a sympathetic expression. He could sense that she was about to tell him she was sorry, but she didn't say anything, not removing her gaze from him until she completely left the room. 


	3. Chapter 3

Wanted

Part Three

Standing dazed on the shore after her boat had been recovered and she had been rescued by the Coast Guard, Mindy stared at the ocean, far into the horizon, wondering where Mork was and what had happened to him. Alerted to what had happened, Dr. Feldman arranged a special government flight to Florida to meet and debrief her. Knowing she was still in shock over the event, he gently took her aside as if she were a child, speaking to her calmly.

"And there was no storm activity before the incident? No reports of hurricanes?" He asked.

Mindy remained unresponsive, staring blankly into the distance.

"Ms. McConnell, I'm trying to help you," he said. "You know that. I want to see Mork returned safely and alive as much as you do, but I can't do anything unless you talk to me and tell me what happened out there."

"No, there weren't any storms," she said, looking down at the ground. "The day was as clear and calm as it is right now."

Dr. Feldman nodded, making some notes in his notepad. "Well, these phenomena are not unknown to happen," he said. "Whirlpools like you describe have occurred, both in nature and as part of man-made activity."

Mindy shook her head, wiping tears from her eyes. "I just don't understand it," she said, replaying his terrified screams and pleas for help in her mind, remembering vividly how he was sucked beneath the waves, the disturbing image haunting her and refusing to fade. "He just disappeared. Were we near the Bermuda Triangle or something?"

"No, your coordinates were far from that area."

Mindy looked at him. "So it does exist?" She asked.

Dr. Feldman's thin lips twitched uncomfortably. He cleared his throat. "That's uh…that's classified," he said.

"Doctor, I think you can tell me," she said. "After all, my boyfriend is an alien." She paused, catching herself. "I mean…was. That is, if he's still alive." Her voice cracked as more tears formed. "We've got to find him. Please, you've got to help me. I don't know what I'd do if I never see him again." Her sobs increased and she buried her face in his shoulder.

"It's all right," Dr. Feldman said, awkwardly consoling her by stroking her trembling shoulder as she leaned against him for support. "I told you that's why I'm here. We're going to get him back, I promise you. My men are out there right now, searching for him. It will only be a matter of time before he's returned to you."

"Yes, but will he be alive?"

She looked at him hopefully, her eyes swollen and red from crying.

Dr. Feldman sighed. As a government scientist, so much of his job involved spreading disinformation to the public. With Mindy, he always found himself incapable of lying. He wished he could tell her everything would be fine, but he honestly did not know what the outcome would be.

"I don't know," he said.

As Mork paced inside his cage, he suddenly found himself surrounded by some transparent material that obstructed his path. It enclosed around him and was spherical like a clear bubble, and like a bubble, it began to lift him in the air until he touched the top of the aquarium. Confused and terrified, he touched the walls of the bubble, trying to determine if there was a way out of it. The material was sticky like flypaper, making it difficult for him to escape, his hands and feet continuously being cemented to the surface, firmly affixing him like glue.

"Don't worry," a voice said, intruding his mind. "I'm here to clean your tank. This bubble of air will keep you protected while you're outside of it. It will provide you with enough oxygen to allow you to breathe."

Mork looked up. The younger sea creature had returned, smiling reassuringly down at him as she reached into his tank with one of her tentacles. She attached his bubble to a rod, which caused him to dangle from it as if he were a fishing lure. He hoped he wasn't, hoping she wasn't deceiving him, using him as bait to catch her prey. She stuck the end of the rod into the sand, making sure it was secured before returning to her task of cleaning the tank, making sure Mork wouldn't topple over in his helpless, compromised position inside the bubble. Relieved that it appeared that was all she intended to do with him, he relaxed, reclining inside the bubble, feeling oddly at ease as it swayed slightly with the steady undulation of the water surrounding him. The initial stickiness of the substance enclosing him had diminished, feeling now more like a soft cushion, making him feel much more comfortable and less confined. Besides, he knew it was useless to attempt to escape now, the bubble shielding him from the water that surrounded him outside, threatening to drown him. Inside the bubble, he at least had a pocket of oxygen keeping him alive, a protective barrier that would keep him insulated.

"I realize we never properly introduced ourselves," the young water creature said, turning to Mork and smiling down at him. "My name is Sabrina. My mother is Andrea."

"And I'm Mork."

"I knew that." She turned back to the tank. "So Mork, what made you decide to travel around the universe? It must be exciting to go on as many adventures as you have."

Mork looked down sadly, feeling the implant in his neck. He momentarily felt a rush of vertigo as he could clearly see the sea floor beneath his feet, forgetting that the bubble would keep him safely suspended and he would not fall. Regaining his bearings, he sighed, pressing his hands firmly against the floor of the bubble to assure himself that he was safe.

"Actually, I didn't have a choice," he said.

"What do you mean?"

"Well Sabrina, it turns out that I'm a criminal on my own planet, too."

"What happened?"

"Emotions are illegal on Ork," he said. "I was born with them, so it made it difficult if not impossible for me to express them eventually, and eventually I was caught and sent to prison. As punishment for my crimes, they placed me in a state of suspended animation, and I would have remained that way had my superior Orson not intervened on my behalf. He convinced the other superiors that although I may have emotions, I was curious and intelligent, and therefore worthy of a second chance. He gave me an ultimatum—either I explored and studied other planets of their choosing and reported what I had learned, or I was to remain imprisoned inside my body. So, I chose the least painful option. It turns out it was the best decision I ever made, too. For the most part, my travels have been rewarding. I have been mistreated at times, but at last I found a planet I love here on Earth, and a girl I love, and I decided to stay and make this my new home. Now though, I'm not so sure what my future will be, with your mother threatening to turn me in for a reward on some distant planet where I can't even remember what I could have done to displease them."

Sabrina turned to look at him, her expression sympathetic once again. In her strange way, she was almost beautiful, her glowing, translucent form almost angelic as it floated in the water. He wondered if she would be his savior, showing compassion for him where her mother would not.

"You are not a criminal," she said. "I don't know what you did on those planets either, but I don't care. You are a kind, sweet little creature who deserves a good life, a life of freedom."

"Then you will help me get out of here?" He asked.

Sabrina looked down sadly. "Oh Mork," she said. "I wish I could. I wish it was that simple. It's just my mother—you don't know how much this reward means to her—to us. You see, life hasn't been easy for us, either. We're refugees. Our planet became uninhabitable. Since Earth is over 70% water, it was the best possible place for us to settle until we can find a more suitable alternative. There is a planet not far from here that would be ideal, but unfortunately we cannot afford the passage to it. We're poor, Mork, barely hanging on. Mama is desperate. She wants to find a home as much as you do, but until we have the money to make that possible, I just don't see how. We can't remain on Earth. The composition of this planet's oceans is far too salinized. We need fresher water to live. Already I can tell that Mama is becoming sick from the amount of salt in the water here. We've got to find a new home, and we have to have money to join the other survivors from our planet there. You do understand, don't you? She doesn't see how else to make it happen."

"I see," Mork said. "So she is willing to sacrifice another innocent life if that means that you both will find happiness."

"She doesn't want to do it, Mork. Please understand. My mother is not a monster. It's just—

Mork nodded. "I know," he said. "I just wish you both could think of another way to get to your new home without destroying me, surrendering me to another planet's harsh system of justice where you have no way of knowing what they'll do to me. I thought you at least cared more about me than to allow that to happen."

Sabrina cupped her tentacles around the Mork's bubble as if he were trapped inside a fragile family heirloom or ornament that she didn't want to break, guarding his life from the water outside. She held him as preciously and gently as if he were her beloved pet. He supposed, as small as he was in comparison to her, that's all she would allow him to be to her, but he still appreciated her caring gesture.

"I _do_ care about you," she said, "and I don't want to see you harmed, but—

"Come on, Sabrina, it is time for your supper," Andrea said sternly, entering the room. She looked at the tiny Mork dangling from his bubble in disdain. "You may finish cleaning your pet's cage, but do it quickly."

"Wait a second, now I'm a _pet_?" Mork asked, insulted. He knew that Sabrina probably saw him the same way, but hearing her mother declare it so boldly felt condescending.

"As small and insignificant as you are in comparison to me, I could crush you if I so desired," Andrea said coldly. "However, as it stands, you are very valuable to me, and shortly I expect to get my money's worth for you."

"Mama, what do you mean?" Sabrina asked, pulling the rod holding Mork's bubble from the ground, carrying him back to his air aquarium. She gently placed him back inside, where the bubble drifted to the bottom and popped, leaving him safe and uninjured back inside the tank.

Andrea's hardened features softened. "Oh Daughter, I think it's finally going to happen for us," she said. "We're finally going to our new home. Tonight, after dinner, I'm going to make an offer to one of the planets wanting Mork. They have the best reward out of all the other possible planets, I think. We will soon have enough money to travel. Isn't that exciting?"

Sabrina looked sadly back at Mork.

"But what about Mork?" She asked. "We can't do this to him. There's got to be a better way."

"There is not. My decision has been made, and it is final. We will deliver Mork to the authorities on this planet as soon as dinner has been completed. Now, come along."

"But—

"Do not argue with me. You will do as I command. Now, come."

Andrea grabbed one of her daughter's tentacles, pulling her from the room.

"Wait! No, please! Don't do this! No amount of happiness is worth the price of my freedom!" Mork shouted in his mind after them, pounding on the glass of his tank. "Please, don't do this to me! Please!"

Andrea reemerged, but only briefly, glaring at him and shutting to door to the room, effectively drowning out his mental pleas from her hearing.


	4. Chapter 4

Wanted

Part Four

When Sabrina and her mother entered the room where Mork was being kept after dinner, she couldn't bear to look into his desperate, pleading eyes. He sat curled in the corner of his aquarium tank, backed away as far from them as he could possibly get as if to evade the grasp of their tentacles, yet he knew avoiding them was useless, exposed and cornered as he was, unable to escape the inevitable. She had no doubt that among other beings his own size, he was powerful and capable, but looking at him now, small, fearful, and vulnerable, he looked delicate and light, like a caged bird.

"I won't allow you to take him," she said, impeding her mother's progress into the room, blocking her path to Mork's cage.

Surprised yet impressed by her sudden courage, Mork stood, approaching the glass. He pressed his hands against it and leaned on it, looking up at her and smiling with admiration. Sabrina noticed him, giving him a nod of recognition before she returned to face her mother.

"Don't you understand? This is the only way we'll ever get out of here," Andrea said, her expression just as desperate as Mork's, but for a different reason.

It upset Sabrina to see her mother that way, driven to extreme actions out of fear and uncertainty. Although she empathized with her, she refused to relent, maintaining her position in front of Mork's cage, protecting him.

"I don't want the joy of our freedom tainted by the idea that we forfeited Mork's," she said.

Andrea stiffened her resolve, glaring at her daughter. "Get out of my way," she said.

"No," Sabrina said. "Mork's freedom is not for sale. You're not taking him."

"Get out of my way!" Andrea screamed, trying to push herself forward past her daughter toward Mork's cage.

"No!" Sabrina shouted, struggling to hold her mother back. "No, I won't let you do this to him!"

As the two sea creatures continued to wrestle with each other, one of Sabrina's long tentacles accidentally smashed into the glass cage of air containing Mork, causing it to shatter. Mork barely had time to react as water quickly filled the tank, sucking him out of the huge, gaping hole that had ruptured in the front, pulling him out into the open water. Aware of what had happened, the two creatures stopped fighting, staring at the broken cage in horror.

"Now look what you've done!" Andrea shouted. "Help me find him! We've got to get him back inside something with air quickly. He's of no use to us if he's dead."

Sabrina searched frantically for him, his tiny size in comparison to them making it difficult. At last she saw him, his limbs flailing, kicking his legs like a tadpole, trying to swim but unsure where to go, lost and disoriented and trying to hold his breath.

"It's okay Mother," she said. "I've found him."

Reaching out one of her tentacles, she wrapped it around Mork's body, pulling him towards her, holding him firmly so she wouldn't lose him while making sure she wasn't squeezing him too tightly to injure him. In a panicked state, he squirmed against her grip, struggling to free himself. Even though he was small compared to her, she could still feel the strength of his tiny body as he wriggled, every muscle in his body contracting.

"It's all right," she said in a soothing voice, trying to calm him. "I've got you."

Mork's struggles grew weaker, his body becoming limp in her tentacles. She knew she didn't have much time.

"Do something!" Andrea shouted.

"I'll put him inside one of my oxygen bubbles," she said, forming one of the clear, spherical shapes around him, attaching it to a rod again to anchor him so it would not float away. "There," she said, holding onto the end of the rod, looking inside the bubble. All the water had drained from around Mork's body, leaving him surrounded by oxygen. "He should be able to breathe now."

Andrea sighed with relief. "Well, I suppose we'll just have to deliver him to the planet for the reward like this," she said. She reached out one of her tentacles, entreating her daughter. "Give him to me."

Sabrina looked inside the bubble containing Mork's body, studying it. Although he had been rescued from the water, he still remained unresponsive, his body motionless. She worried that she had intervened to save him too late. Her pity for him once again increased as she wondered how much more he had to suffer. She knew this was her final chance to help him. She looked up at her mother.

"Of course," she said, pretending to hand Mork's bubble to her before swimming away with him as quickly as she could, exiting the room.

"Sabrina! What are you doing? Get back here with him!" Andrea shouted, pursuing her.

Swimming as fast as she could, she soon lost her mother, who trailed behind her in the distance. She began to head toward the ocean surface, clutching Mork's bubble protectively against her so that she wouldn't drop him.

"Don't worry Mork," she said, unsure if he could hear her. "I'm taking you home."

She knew that the walls of the bubble containing him, as deceptively fragile as they looked, were actually quite strong and would protect him from the crushing pressure of the ocean water around him as they headed towards the surface. He would be safe, or so she hoped. She looked down at him once more as she swam, noticing that he still hadn't moved.

"You're going to be fine," she said, more to reassure herself than him. "You're going to be just fine."

The color of the water began to change, and Sabrina knew they were close to the surface, the glowing sunlight visible from beneath the waves. She didn't want to surface for fear that some Earthling would see her, so she stopped swimming, once again looking down at Mork's body encased inside the bubble, trying to determine if he was still alive, turning it gently in her tentacles. The only motion she detected was from the gentle lapping of the waves as they pushed the bubble around. Mork remained absolutely still.

"Oh Mork," she said, sobbing. "I'm so sorry."

"Sabrina! Sabrina, where are you? You come back here with him right this minute!" Her mother called in the distance. "I'm warning you, young lady!"

Knowing that she didn't have much time before her mother found her and caught up with her, she took once last look down at Mork, gently kissing the protective shell of the bubble surrounding him.

"I'll never forget you," she said, releasing the bubble from the anchoring rod, gently guiding it as it floated toward the surface. "You're free now."

She sobbed as she watched the bubble drift farther and farther away from her toward the surface, looking like a released helium balloon. It grew smaller and smaller until it was no longer within her sight.

Once the bubble broke the surface, it popped, the tossing of the waves pushing Mork's body towards the shore. As he landed gently on the sand, the waves curling around him, he remained unconscious, oblivious to the world, unaware that he had been saved.


	5. Chapter 5

Wanted

Part Five

"Where was he found?" Mindy asked, Dr. Feldman rushing her down the corridors of the secret government facility where they were treating Mork, taking her to him as quickly as possible.

"Not far from here," Dr. Feldman said. "Some beachcombers discovered his body close to the shoreline."

Mindy held her breath. She swallowed hard. "Body?" She asked. "You mean, he's…"

Dr. Feldman ushered her inside the room where Mork was, so that she could see for herself. He didn't believe in forestalling the inevitable, wanting to relieve her of any unnecessary pain. She gasped in horror when she saw him, wet and bedraggled, his skin an unhealthy tinge of blue. She rushed to him, collapsing at his bedside.

"Mork," she said, sobbing. She took his hand and pressed it against her cheek. It was coated with sand, cold, and rigid. She kissed it gently. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm so sorry."

"We did everything we could to resuscitate him, Doctor," the physician tending to Mork said. "I'm afraid we were just too late."

Mindy embraced Mork's body, burying her head in his still chest, her sobs increasing. Dr. Feldman watched her, feeling tremendous sympathy for her, knowing there was little he could do to console her. Inside, he felt distraught, too. Not only had he lost a colleague—he'd lost someone very special to him, someone he considered a friend. As he listened to Mindy's heartrending wails and sobs, he walked slowly around Mork's body, checking the medical equipment monitoring his functions in a hopeful attempt to find any sign of life in the alien's body. There didn't appear to be any of course, and he knew the situation was hopeless. Mork was gone, and they were going to have to accept it. Before turning to try to provide some comfort to Mindy as she cried, he paused, noticing the readout on the machine monitoring Mork's brain waves. He studied it closely, noticing subtle spikes on the graph, barely perceptible, but definitely proof that Mork was still present, that he was still with them, no matter how faint his connection to life was at that point.

"He's still alive," he said quietly, mainly to himself.

"What?" Mindy asked, looking up at him tearfully.

Dr. Feldman smiled, certain he was right, relieved to be able to give Mindy some hope. "Yes," he said, nodding. "Mork is still alive."

"How?"

Dr. Feldman pointed to the graph on the screen. "Look at this graph," he said. "You see these little spikes in the lines? These reveal brain activity. Mork can't be dead if his brain is still active."

Mindy smiled through her tears, overcome with emotion, unsure what to say.

The other doctors in the room approached the machine, studying it carefully and arriving at the same conclusion, exchanging stunned expressions and murmurs among each other.

"How is that possible?" One of them asked. "When he was brought in, he was DOA. We estimate that he must have been unresponsive for at least two hours, even as we tried to revive him."

"Gentlemen you must remember who we are dealing with, here," he said. "You've grown so accustomed to seeing Mork's internal anatomy when you've treated him for medical emergencies that you forgot that he's still different from us, that he's alien. He may resemble us physically on many levels, but he is still a different species. We still don't know quite enough about how he functions to determine a cause for what we're seeing, here. My guess is that his body must have some highly advanced internal preservation mechanism, designed to keep him alive—or at least in a comatose state—long after his hearts have stopped beating and his lungs have stopped functioning."

"How long will it last?" Mindy asked, wiping her eyes. "Do you think he'll stay alive? Will he ever wake up?"

Dr. Feldman sighed, shaking his head. "There is no way to determine that at this point," he said. He looked at his colleagues. "I recommend that we study this phenomenon immediately and try to determine if there is a way he can regain consciousness."

They all nodded in agreement, departing the room to their laboratories where they could monitor patterns in Mork's brain activity more closely, trying to find a connection and hopefully find a way to revive him and save his life. Once they had gone, Dr. Feldman smiled reassuringly at Mindy.

"This is good news," he said. "It means that there is still a chance that Mork can be revived. A normal human being could never have survived a drowning this long without it being called a miracle. With Mork, it appears that his advanced alien biology just might have saved him."

Mindy looked down at Mork's unconscious body, stroking his wet hair. She had never seen him so still, his skin becoming an even more unnatural shade of blue, making him look nightmarish, like a ghoul already in his grave. "Yes, but will he ever wake up?" She asked. "Will he ever be the same, or will this permanently damage him in some way?"

She couldn't bear the thought of Mork being profoundly changed, perhaps unable to care for himself or entirely dependent on her. Of course she loved him and she would never leave him, especially if he needed her, but she didn't want to see his vibrant and independent spirit destroyed.

"You know I don't know that," Dr. Feldman said. "I wish I could tell you with certainty that Mork can be revived without complications, but you know that I can't do that. I want to give you hope, but it would be cruel of me to give you false hope. I hope you understand. We'll do all that we can to help him. I promise."

Mindy nodded, brushing her hand against Mork's pale, bluish cheek. "I know you will," she said.


	6. Chapter 6

Wanted

Part Six

 _"Well, what have we got here?"_ A deep, booming voice asked, echoing through the depths of Mork's subconscious. _"What kind of mess have you gotten yourself into this time?"_

"Orson?" Mork asked weakly, slowly becoming aware that he was inside his mind. "What's going on, here? What's happened?"

"I was hoping you would be able to tell me that. You never call me anymore you know, ever since you assimilated to your life on Earth. You may have almost completely severed our connection, thinking you don't need me anymore, when it is quite apparent that you still do. I still keep track of you, you know, monitoring your progress on your new home planet. Your brain and your body sent signals to me, alerting me that you were in distress. Judging from the state you're in right now, the situation must be dire indeed."

"Oh Sir, it is," Mork said, memories of his captivity returning to him. "I was abducted by these two gigantic sea creatures from another planet. They wanted to turn me in for a reward. Apparently there's a price on my head on several planets I visited."

"Dare I ask why?"

"They say I broke some of their laws."

"Did you, Mork?"

"How am I supposed to know? Nobody ever told me until now. For all I know, I could have sneezed wrong or something."

"This is no laughing matter," Orson said. "You have violated the law on several planets. It does not matter whether the offense seems trivial to you—it is apparently important enough to these societies to offer monetary gain to whoever captures and returns you."

"I know. That means I'm a wanted man, a known fugitive of justice. I somehow managed to escape this time, but I know in the future that means someone else will come looking for me, hoping to collect their reward for handing me over to the authorities. My life and my freedom are in danger Orson, and I didn't realize it until now. I thought that now that I was on Earth, I was safe. I suppose I was wrong."

"It is indeed a concern, one which Orkan High Command will take seriously. We will do everything in our power to protect you."

"Thanks, Orson. Somehow I don't feel that will be enough. Greed is a powerful thing. It turns living beings like me into objects for profit."

"May I ask why these creatures wished to turn you in, besides the obvious and rather base reason of money?"

Mork thought about Sabrina and how kind she had been to him. He wondered where she was now, wondering if she and her mother would ever be able to find their new home, now that he had deprived them of their chance to finance their voyage. He wanted to be generous, but he wasn't willing to trade away his life to make that happen for them. He wished he could give them some of his millions of Earth money that he had made working for the United States government, but that presented a whole other set of complications. If other aliens learned he was wealthy, they could take advantage of him. Then again, he knew there wasn't an exchange rate between Earth and other planets, most civilizations across the universe considering them too primitive to transact business with. His money would be useless to them. It appeared there was little else he could have done.

"They're living on Earth, just as I am," he said, "but the earth's oceans can't sustain them. They're too salty. They needed the money from my capture to finance a trip to their new home, since their old planet was destroyed. The mother of the other creature is becoming sick because of the salt content in the water, and she was desperate enough that she was willing to sacrifice my freedom for her own and her daughter's."

Orson was silent for a while, considering what Mork told him.

"I see," he said at last. "That is a rather unfortunate situation."

"Yes Sir, it is," Mork said. "You can see that they weren't merely greedy. They had a good reason for what they did. I didn't want to leave them in that situation, but what else could I do? They were going to send me to some planet where I would be severely punished for a crime I didn't even know I committed. Thankfully the daughter helped me. She's the one who saved me—I think. I can't remember how I escaped. But none of that matters now if I can be kidnapped by any alien bounty hunter at any time seeking financial gain from my capture, and I guarantee you the next alien _will_ probably be motivated more out of pure greed. That is unfortunately the nature of how things work across the universe." He sighed.

Orson was silent again, pondering.

"You know Mork, I think I have a solution to your problem," he said.

"Oh, do tell, Sir."

"You say that these beings are on Earth now, in the ocean?"

"Yes Sir—the Atlantic Ocean, to be precise. Off the coast of the American state called Florida. That is, of course, assuming they're still there."

Orson nodded. "Uh-huh," he said, resting his triple chins on his stubby thumb.

"Orson, you're killing me. What is it?"

"No Mork—it appears the ocean almost killed you."

Mork rolled his eyes. "It's a figure of speech," he said. "Never mind. Spill it."

"Spill what?"

"What's on your mind."

"I'm afraid if I spilled the contents of my mind, that would get rather messy."

Mork smiled, barely able to contain his laugher. "Just tell me what your plan is," he said.

"Oh, that. Why didn't you just say so, instead of using all that strange Earth language?" He shook his head and sighed in exasperation. "Very well, then. I'll tell you. I will make contact with these creatures. I will explain your situation as well as my position."

"I don't think they'll listen. Sabrina might, though. She's the daughter."

"You did not let me finish, Mork. What I was going to say is that I will make them an offer."

"What kind of offer, Sir?" Mork asked, cringing, hoping that Orson was still on his side, hoping that he wasn't about to deliver him to the authorities himself.

He knew how much trouble he caused his superior, how much of a risk he had taken releasing him from stasis to allow him to explore the universe. Despite all his benevolence, Mork knew that Orson still saw him as a criminal. What was preventing him from wanting to turn him in, too?

"I will have to obtain final approval from Orkan High Command, but I believe that we can help this family get to their new destination."

Mork looked at Orson, raising his eyebrows in surprise. "Really?" He asked. "You mean that?"

"Yes. In return, they must promise never to try to capture you for bounty again, and also never to inform other alien societies looking for you of your present location. In return, we will provide you with protection, and I assume that once you tell your Earth friends what happened, they will do what they can to assist you, too, despite their primitive methods of defense."

"Thank you, Sir," Mork said. "I don't know what to say. I thought you were willing to turn me in, too."

"Money is unimportant on Ork, you know that," Orson said. "We have advanced beyond needing it to function as a society. It is a primitive, arcane tool, unnecessary, superfluous."

"I know, but I thought you would want to see me jailed. After all, am I not still a criminal to you?"

"You are on probation. You have been since I released you from stasis. I believe you still have a chance at rehabilitation. You are already proving yourself with what you're doing on Earth, how you're improving their lives. It is admirable, and not the work of a felon who should be locked away. You should be allowed to continue your work, enjoying your relative freedom."

"Well thank you, Sir. It relieves me to hear you say that."

Orson bowed his head graciously.

"Speaking of which, Mork, I believe it is time you returned to your life on Earth. I can tell they are all concerned about you since you escaped from the ocean and nearly drowned. They think you are dead, or close to death. They are unaware of our ability to survive using only our most basic functions to conserve our energy. Mindy in particular is very distraught and anxious for your recovery."

"Mindy," Mork said sadly, looking down. "Oh no. I don't want her to be upset or worry about me. The last time she saw me, I was being dragged away by those sea creatures. It must have been terrifying for her to know that she'd lost me, and now that I'm back…you're right—I guess I just assumed that the Earthlings would know. I don't know how long I've been this way, but I suppose I should resume full body functioning."

"I must warn you, Mork, it will not be easy or painless," Orson said. "It will not be too dissimilar from awaking from stasis. In fact, that is the main reason we can use stasis as a form of punishment. You have a great amount of fluid still trapped in your lungs which you will have to release somehow. Extracting it will not be pleasant."

Mork nodded. "I understand," he said. "But if it means I can return to Mindy, then I'm happy to do it."

"Very well, then, I will leave you to it. And Mork?"

"Yes Sir?"

"I realize this is no longer a requirement of your assignment since you now live permanently on Earth, but call me once in a while, will you? Just to let me know how you're doing. I do not want to have to deal with more unpleasant surprises like this one."

Mork smiled. "You miss me," he said.

"Nonsense."

"But you're concerned for my welfare."

Orson sighed audibly. "Go home, Mork," he said.

"Yes, Sir. This is Mork, signing off. Nanu-Nanu."

Mindy had fallen asleep beside Mork's body. For hours, both she and Dr. Feldman were hoping for some change, some sign of progress with his recovery, but his body remained still. The only comforting assurance they had that he was still alive was the small blips on his brain wave readout. When his body began to convulse violently, it awakened Mindy immediately.

"Dr. Feldman! Get in here!" She shouted.

Dr. Feldman and his team rushed into the room, watching as Mork's body continued to spasm.

"What's happening to him?" Mindy asked.

"I am not sure," Dr. Feldman said, trying to monitor his vital signs without endangering himself or Mork. "It could be a seizure as a result of oxygen deprivation."

Mindy watched, horrified, hoping that didn't mean that Mork was brain damaged.

As Mork continued to thrash around, he began to cough violently, vomiting large amounts of water that was still trapped inside his lungs. It gushed out of him like a geyser.

"Everybody stand back," Dr. Feldman said. "Be careful."

Mork's eyes opened, darting around the room, trying to regain awareness of his surroundings. His lungs and his chest ached, every muscle in his painfully sore from contorting as he coughed. He felt nauseated and dizzy, collapsing back onto the bed, releasing deep, heaving, and gasping breaths. His natural, healthy complexion returned, replacing the deathlike paleness of his skin.

"Mork, you're all right!" Mindy said, embracing him.

"Of course I'm all right," Mork said, wheezing, weakly trying to return her embrace, his arms trembling.

"This is astounding," Dr. Feldman said. "Just extraordinary. It appears that my theory has been proved correct."

"I don't know what I would have done," Mindy said, embracing him even tighter. "You scared me!"

"I'm sorry, Mindy. I didn't mean to."

"I know you didn't," Mindy said, releasing him and looking into his blue eyes, relieved to see them again. "Is everything okay? You're not hurt or anything, are you?"

Feeling his strength returning to him, Mork clasped her hand, trying to calm and reassure her. He smiled at her.

"I'm just fine," he said. "Everything is fine. I promise."


	7. Chapter 7

Wanted

Part Seven

Fully recovered, Mork walked with Mindy down the beach, stopping to buy a hotdog from a street vendor. He took a huge bite and closed his eyes, savoring it with relish, never tasting anything as delicious.

"Want some?" He asked, offering Mindy a bite, wiping the corner of his mouth where a yellow stain of mustard had gathered.

"Eww, how can you eat those things?" Mindy asked, pushing his hand away and wrinkling her nose in disgust. "Mork, do you know what they put in there?"

"Of course. It fascinates me how they managed to pack every kind of meat and every part of an animal into one meal. It's truly one of Earth's greatest achievements."

"Gee, thanks a lot," Mindy said, giving him a playful shove.

Mork grinned, winking at her.

As they continued their stroll, they came upon a dead jellyfish that had washed ashore, its inflated, translucent body crumpling and desiccating beneath the intense heat of the sun. Mork didn't notice it at first, almost stepping on it in his bare feet.

"Careful," Mindy said, stopping him in mid-step. She pointed down at it. "Those can sting, even when they're dead."

Mork looked down sadly at the jellyfish, its body reminding him of the sea creatures who had held him prisoner. He looked out at the sea, contemplative.

"I hope that Sabrina and her mother are doing all right in their new home," he said wistfully.

Mindy shook her head. "I still can't believe that happened to you," she said, taking his hand as they continued to walk. "It's quite a wild story. My cousin used to tell me there were underwater aliens. He was obsessed with UFO conspiracy theories. I thought he was a loon at the time. Turns out he was right."

"Is this Nelson?"

"No, Jordan. You met him, remember? He told me you were the most normal person he ever met. It's hilarious that he doesn't know you're really an alien. I think that would blow his mind."

Mork smiled. They continued to walk silently for a while as he munched on his hotdog.

"You know Mork, I was so afraid I was going to lose you," Mindy said, squeezing his hand. "When I saw you going under like that, I was terrified. I didn't know what to do. I felt guilty, wondering if there was more I could have done to help you, to keep that from happening in the first place."

Mork shook his head. "There was nothing you could have done," he said. "They were determined. Anyway, I'm safe now." He smiled at her and leaned his head on her shoulder.

"I hope you are. I couldn't bear to go through that again."

They continued walking. Mindy gazed out at the ocean.

"I guess after what happened to you, you'll dive in a swimming pool instead," she said.

Mork frowned at her, puzzled. "Why would I do that?" He asked.

"It's safer. No creepy sea creatures to drag you into their underwater dungeon."

"Don't be fooled by swimming pools. There are some vicious creatures that exist in them, too. Why, the bacteria alone could—

"All right, all right, I don't want to hear it," Mindy said, covering her ears and laughing.

"Besides, why should I be afraid of the ocean after what happened? Why should I let something like that stop me from enjoying my life? It's not as if something like that happens every day."

"With you Mork, it could. You seem to attract strange incidents like a magnet."

"Still, I want my freedom. I live for it, and I've fought hard for it, many times. Diving out into the open sea makes me feel free. Remember how you told me the same thing when we were out on Dr. Feldman's boat? How free you felt out there?" He gestured out towards the ocean.

"I don't want to think about that. It brings back too many terrible memories of what happened to you."

"But it shouldn't. I'm alive. Everything's okay now."

"I didn't know that at the time. I thought you were dead."

"Yes, but don't you see that's all in the past? I don't want you to live in the past, Mindy. I want you to live with me as we are, right now, and appreciate what we have together."

Mindy smiled at him. As childlike as he could be sometimes, she could still see inner wisdom reflected in his eyes, accumulated from all of the difficult and painful experiences he had endured.

"Those creatures tried to take away my freedom," he said. "I would be letting them succeed if I was afraid of the ocean because of them."

"You're right," she said. "Do you want to go out on the boat this afternoon? Catch up on what we missed the last time?"

"Only if you kiss me first."

Mindy looked at the half-eaten stub of the hotdog in his hand. "Finish that disgusting hotdog first, then maybe I'll think about it," she said. "I can't stand looking at that thing."

"All right, if you insist," Mork said. He shoved the entire hotdog in his mouth and lunged at her, acting as if he was about to kiss her with his mouth full.

"Mork!" Mindy cried out in protest, pushing him away.

Laughing, Mork swallowed the hotdog, tossing the paper that was wrapped around it into a nearby trashcan.

"I'm just kidding," he said. "Now, how about a real kiss?"

"I'd like that."

Smiling, Mork leaned in, kissing her passionately.


End file.
